Pierce County reports first local case of COVID-19 virus variant, along with 240 new cases
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department has confirmed the first case of a variant of COVID-19 in the county, according to a Sunday news release.
The health department had “already completed case and contact investigation for this positive case,” the release says, and the individual “had mild symptoms and completed their isolation period.”
The individual had the B.1.1.7 variant, the release says, which is the strain first discovered in the United Kingdom.
“This new information does not change how we fight COVID-19,” Dr. Anthony Chen, the department’s director of health, said in a statement. “Everyone needs to continue to do their part to minimize the spread — and get vaccinated when it is your turn — so we can put this pandemic behind us.”
This variant of the virus could become the “predominant variant” in the United States by March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has projected.
“Viruses always change as they spread,” the health department’s release says. “Several known variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 exist. The variants are often named for the regions where they are first detected, such as UK, South Africa, Brazil.
“We expected the first case of the UK variant in Pierce County and prepared for its spread since it was discovered.”
Pierce County reported 240 new COVID-19 cases Sunday. No additional deaths were reported.
The county’s totals are now at 31,526 cases and 379 deaths since the first confirmed case was reported in March.
The county has reported 3,255 cases in the past 14 days and its 14-day case rate per 100,000 is now 360.9. Average cases per day in the past 14 days are at 232.5.
There were an estimated 7,601 confirmed cases still active in the county as of Saturday.
Testing is available at various sites in the county. More information on testing sites is available on the health department’s website.
The health department also has a page on its site with information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including how individuals can determine eligibility as well as a list of locations around the county where the vaccine may be available.
GEOGRAPHIC TOTALS
Sunday’s geographic case totals for Pierce County are listed below with Saturday’s totals in parenthesis:
▪ Bonney Lake: 880 (874)
▪ Central Pierce County: 1,484 (1,465)
▪ East Pierce County: 1,357 (1,349)
▪ Edgewood/Fife/Milton: 1,315 (1,307)
▪ Frederickson: 1,213 (1,207)
▪ Gig Harbor area: 995 (991)
▪ Graham: 1,077 (1,071)
▪ JBLM: No longer reported
▪ Key Peninsula: 291 (290)
▪ Lake Tapps/Sumner area: 1,109 (1,096)
▪ Lakewood: 2,564 (2,542)
▪ Parkland: 1,531 (1,518)
▪ Puyallup: 1,856 (1,850)
▪ South Hill: 1,831 (1,827)
▪ South Pierce County: 964 (961)
▪ Southwest Pierce County: 435 (432)
▪ Spanaway: 1,491 (1,481)
▪ Tacoma: 8,982 (8,909)
▪ University Place: 1,075 (1,064)
▪ Unknown: 1,076 (1,052)
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Pierce County reports first local case of COVID-19 virus variant, along with 240 new cases."
